CGHSR Awards Three UMN Faculty Members with Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant Funding

The Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility has awarded three University of Minnesota faculty members with Seed to R01 Accelerator Grants, funding to assist researchers in advancing their studies to position them for success in securing NIH R01 or equivalent funding.

The awardees are:

• Peter Larsen, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences | College of Veterinary Medicine
• Kelly Searle, ScM, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health | School of Public Health
• Irina Stepanov, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Mayo Professor in Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences | School of Public Health, Masonic Cancer Center 

Each faculty member will receive up to $50,000 to further their research. In addition, awardees will have access to tailored support to advance their research and grant development efforts — including dedicated project management support from CGHSR staff, expert feedback on grant proposals, resources for global health research operations, and connections to additional research development programs and trainings.

This new program is intended to support former CGHSR Global Health Seed Grant recipients as they take the next step in their research.

“These researchers have established robust international partnerships that we feel exemplify the nature of bidirectional research,” said CGHSR Executive Director Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH. 

Andres Perez, DVM, PhD, was part of the team that reviewed Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant applications. Perez, who is a faculty director at CGHSR in addition to being a professor in the UMN College of Veterinary of Medicine, emphasized the role the Seed to R01 program will play both locally and globally. 

“CGHSR's accelerator grant program offers a unique opportunity for UMN researchers to advance promising ideas and enhance their competitiveness towards the objective of accessing federal and international funding. The program stimulates our researchers to think big, while looking for opportunities to help the Minnesota community and our national and international partners,” said Perez, who is also the director of the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety and the endowed chair of global animal health and food safety in the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Awarded Projects

Elucidating Blood Meal Hosts and Pathogen Diversity of Aedes Mosquitoes in Borneo: Implications for Global Arbovirus Disease Mitigation 

• PI: Peter A. Larsen, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, UMN College of Veterinary Medicine
• Co-PI: Jonathan Oliver, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, UMN School of Public Health
• Co-PI: Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Dean, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia

“The overarching goal of this study is to investigate the blood meal host profiles and arbovirus diversity of Aedes mosquitoes in Borneo. This collaborative project with U of Malaysia colleagues will use a novel nanopore sequencing technology and, if successful, will be of value to public health programs and decision-making in both Malaysia and the US in the matter of arboviral outbreaks, prevention and detection.” 

— Tucker LeBien, PhD, professor emeritus in the UMN Medical School’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, who was part of the Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant application review team

Novel Methods for Quantifying Infrastructure Damage Related to Severe Weather Events and its Impact on Malaria Risk in Mozambique 

• PI: Kelly M. Searle, ScM, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, UMN School of Public Health
• Co-I: Mr. Danilo de Sousa Nhantumbo, MA, Managing Director Navitas Group Global, Maputo, Mozambique
• Co-I: Baltazar Candrinho, MD, Director, National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique

“This novel study will employ a Planet Imaging tool to assess infrastructure damage following a major cyclone in Mozambique. This data will be coupled to a prospective analysis of malaria incidence in the aftermath of the cyclone. The long-term potential of this study will provide greater insight into the relationship between climate change and malaria infection, and may facilitate development of improved mitigation strategies for malaria infection.” 

— Tucker LeBien, PhD, professor emeritus in the UMN Medical School’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, who was part of the Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant application review team

Chemoprevention of the Harmful Effects of Air Pollution 

Jointly funded by CGHSR and Chiang Mai University’s Research Institute for Health Sciences

• PI: Irina Stepanov, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Mayo Professor in Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, UMN School of Public Health, Masonic Cancer Center
• Co-PI: Kanokwan Kulprachakarn, PhD, Research Institute for Health Sciences (RIHES), Chiang Mai University
• Co-I: Stephen Hecht, PhD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, UMN Medical School
• Co-I: Chris Hogan, PhD, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMN College of Science and Engineering
• Co-I: Wason Parklak, PhD, Research Institute for Health Sciences (RIHES), Chiang Mai University
• Co-I: Kittipan Rerkasem, MD, PhD, Research Institute for Health Sciences (RIHES), Chiang Mai University
• Co-I: Hataichanok Chuljerm, PhD, School of Health Sciences Research, Chiang Mai University

"This project has significant potential to create a positive impact on the health issues in the country. Undoubtedly, the research will contribute to increasing global health research at the partner site in Thailand.  The overarching goal of the study is to reduce the burden of disease caused by air pollution by monitoring the beneficial effects of watercress consumption during the extremely high air pollution season. Key to the success of the study is the extensive experience the team has in air sampling and measuring biomarkers of exposure and biological effects." 

— Clifford Steer, MD, a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the UMN Medical School, who was part of the Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant application review team 

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application this year. We’d also like to thank our application reviewers and program managers. 

Former Global Health Seed Grant recipients and others interested in applying for Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant funding are encouraged to contact Sophie Watson, Senior Research Coordinator, at [email protected]. 

Learn more about the Seed to R01 Accelerator Grant Program and how to apply.